Service With a Smile and Excellence

It’s Saturday and Mom, Karen and I meet at i-Hop for breakfast. This is our annual go-to birthday celebration place and since I’m in Tulsa town this weekend and my birthday is next week – they jump on it. I love these two women so much. They have been sources of anchoring me for so many years -- since I fell in love with Karen’s big brother and Mom’s son when I was 12. We have many precious and cherished memories together.

What makes this celebration even sweeter is this beaming waitress. Just look at her sweet shining light! This is Jacquie! Karen is taking a phone call so I roll Mom in her wheel chair to the booth. I get her settled in and take her wheelchair to a corner out of the way. When I return, this precious girl is bent over helping Mom get out of her sweater. That’s when I am first attracted to her serving beyond her call-of-duty.

I spot her almost ear-to-ear smile. I am drawn to her radiance -- her countenance. I tell her so. She graciously accepts my compliment with an even bigger smile. I'm reminded of Proverbs 15:13 "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face..." She asks if she can get us coffee and within seconds, she returns. Karen joins us and our “shining” waitress is ready to take our order. I ask: “What’s that big smile about? Is it because you love God?” And, instantly, she replies, “Oh, yes. Very, very much!” I say: “Keep shining because this world needs to see what God looks like and how He serves.”

To Mom and Karen, I say: “A blog is on its way!” And here it is for you today! Now you know what Jesus in human flesh looks like. It’s a look of joy, love and kindness. It is excellence in attitude and service. We can’t help but give her an extra good tip because she is all about “service with a smile”. She makes this little birthday celebration so pleasant with responding to our every request without delay, including allowing me to get a photo of her and her taking a photo of us.

I could go on about being a bright light to our world and if ever our world needed more smiles and service like this, it does today! How much more would we want to “bless” those who come with a heart of a servant in excellence and quality customer service? St. Francis said, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and sometimes use words." The beautiful young woman is preaching the good news every day with her happy heart and encouraging smile.

Whether in the service industry or the servant-of-God-ministry (and we should always be in the latter as devoted followers of Christ), we should always be practicing the Golden Rule -- putting ourselves in other people’s chairs and treating them the way we would want to be treated in any given situation.

Service with a smile should be more than a catchy phrase. It should be a heartfelt, everyday commitment to exit the doors of our homes as people-pleasers, people-lovers, people-servers, and people who exemplify the good works of Jesus by bearing His fruit to a world that needs role models who make a difference.

Oh, Well!

I sent a lengthy email to a friend, bearing my filled-with-concerns soul, but being the optimist soul that I am, I was pleased to add my resolutions to the concerns also. In reply, my friend said, "You are way too concerned about little things. Stop overthinking!" I needed that bold admonition.

Truth and wise counsel was well taken, especially when I picked up my "Jesus Calling" daily devotional book for yesterday and also heard God's voice telling me the same thing: "Try to see things more and more from My perspective. Let the Light of My Presence so fully fill your mind that you view the world through Me. When little things don't go as you had hoped, look to Me lightheartedly and say, "Oh, well." This simple discipline can protect you from being burdened with an accumulation of petty cares and frustrations. If you practice this diligently, you will make a life-changing discovery: You realize that most of the things that worry you are not important. If you shrug them off immediately and return your focus to Me, you will walk through your days with lighter steps and a joyful heart."

"Oh, well." What wise words for those of us who take life way too seriously. We get all tied up and knotted up about such trivial matters. Oh, well! We find ourselves questioning ourselves about whether or not we said the right thing or not. Oh, well! "I completely blew it when I forgot that appointment! Oh, well!" "The cinnamon rolls I made for the church bake sale didn't rise! Oh, well!" "No one complimented my new haircut. Oh, well!" "I overcooked the meat loaf! Oh, well!" I had to send my child to school in a wrinkled shirt! Oh, well!

Maybe, today, you're worried and concerned about many things, too. Jesus said those words to Martha in Luke 10:41. I think He was probably wanting her to say "Oh, well! I'll just sit right down here at your feet, leave the meal and the dishes, and let you be my worry-and-concern-bearer." That's what I'm doing! Oh well!